Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Hello, everyone and welcome back! Today is the second lesson of our Superbook adventure, “Lazarus.” Our lesson is about waiting. Have you ever waited for something or someone important?

Is it easy to be patient while you are waiting? No, it can be hard to wait!

One thing that we don’t need to wait for is a Savior. Jesus died on the cross for us so that we can be free from sin and shame. Through Him, our sins are forgiven and we can have new life—right now! Let’s not wait any longer to worship Jesus now as we sing, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”

Play Video: (Song) What a Friend We Have in Jesus (2.5 minutes)

Preview the song so you can help the children sing along with the music.

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

SuperTruth and Discussion (2 minutes)

Last time, we learned about the importance of spending time with Jesus. One way to do that is to worship Him, as we just did. What is another way to spend time with Jesus? In prayer, reading God’s Word.

Our SuperTruth today is: “I will wait upon the Lord.” What do you think it means to wait upon the Lord? To wait for Him to answer or move, to trust and have hope in Him.

Yes, when we wait upon the Lord, we show God that we trust Him to answer how and when He chooses.

In the Superbook adventure last time, what kind of record was Chris trying so hard to break? The world record for pogo stick bounces.

What happened to keep him from breaking the record? Joy called and needed his help.

For those who weren’t here last time, we’ll watch a short version of the video now. If you have already seen it, watch closely to see what Mary does when Jesus returns to Bethany.

Introduce Condensed Bible Story (1 minute)

If all children watched the Bible story video in the previous lesson, you may skip it here and go straight to the Bible Background Video.

Play Video 4: Condensed Bible Story (11 minutes)

Condensed Bible Story

Superbook takes Joy, Chris and Gizmo to meet Jesus, who is told that his friend Lazarus is sick. Jesus delays visiting, and when He arrives, Lazarus has died. Jesus gives Lazarus an even greater miracle than healing—by raising him from the dead.

Discussion (2 minutes)

After hearing that Lazarus was sick, how many days did Jesus wait before He started on the journey to see him?

Two days.

Were you surprised that Jesus did not immediately go to Lazarus? Please explain. Yes, He loved Lazarus and his family. He could have prevented his death. Mary and Martha needed Him.

Jesus did not rush to help Lazarus. By waiting, Jesus accomplished far more for God’s glory. We will discuss why in our teaching today.

Introduce Bible Background Video (1 minute)

In the Bible Background video, we’ll learn more about Jesus, our Good Shepherd, the Son of God! We’ll also find out more about Jerusalem and the town of Bethany where the story takes place. When Gizmo asks a question, wait for him to give some possible answers, then call out the one you think is right!

Play Video 5: Bible Background (9 minutes)

Bible Background

Play Video 10B: SuperVerse Graphic 2

Graphic loops 2.5 minutes without audio; turn off or freeze video after children repeat the verse.

SuperVerse Graphic 2

SuperVerse Discussion (1 minute)

Psalm 27:14:

Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

It is hard to wait, yet sometimes we must wait patiently for God to answer our prayers. By being patient, we demonstrate our faith in Him. We show that we trust Him to answer our prayers in His perfect timing, and that He will do what is best for us.

Children will have more time to learn the SuperVerse in Small Group. If younger children are not able to memorize the entire verse, be sure they understand its meaning.

Prayer and Send-Off (1 minute)

Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, it is never easy to wait for an answer. However, as we learned with Lazarus, a delayed answer may bring more glory to You! Help us to patiently wait on You and trust that Your timing is always perfect. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

In Small Group today, you will play a really fun game. Are you ready to play—or would you rather wait?

Teachers take children to Small Group classes for Grades 1–3 and 4–6. If the combined group is small, all children may stay together for Small Group time.

Game

Before Lazarus was placed in the tomb, his body was wrapped in linen cloth to prepare him for burial. In the Bible, we can read of someone else who was prepared in this way. Do you know who this was? Jesus.

Read John 19:40:

Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth.

Divide the class into teams of five children. As much as possible, teams should be all boys or all girls. Explain that each team should choose a child to play Lazarus, while the rest of the group will wrap Lazarus from head to toe with the toilet paper.

Here is how the game works: two children in each group will work as fast as they can to wrap Lazarus for 15 seconds. Then, two different children in the group will take a turn for 15 seconds. Work this way until the roll of toilet paper is empty. The team that finishes first scores five bonus points. After everyone is done, we will vote on which team did the best wrapping job on their Lazarus. We will look at how much of the body is covered and how neat the wrapping job is. That team will receive five points. Are you ready to wrap Lazarus? Go!

All teams play at once. Use the timer and signal for the pairs of children within each team to start and stop every 15 seconds. Only two children may wrap at one time. Once one team finishes their roll of paper, award them five points. All the children on the remaining teams should work quickly to finish wrapping their Lazarus.

Great job everyone! I believe Lazarus is ready for the tomb! However, this game isn’t over! Let’s read John 11:43–44 to give you a hint of what happens next.

⁴³ Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴ And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”

When I say, “Unwrap him and let him go,” each team will help their Lazarus remove the grave clothes. The first team to free Lazarus scores five points! Are you ready?

“Unwrap him and let him go!”

Award five points for the first team to completely unwrap their Lazarus. The team with the most points overall wins.

Once again, great job everyone. You are truly talented wrappers and un-wrappers! Yes, Jesus told the people to unwrap Lazarus. Now, let’s see if the same thing happened with Jesus at His resurrection.

Read John 20:3–7:

³ Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. ⁴ They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, ⁷ while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings.

What was different about Jesus and His grave clothes? Jesus needed no help in removing His grave clothes!

Teaching

Stand behind the table and face the children.

Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “I will wait upon the Lord.”

Raise your hand if you enjoy waiting for something you really want. Children respond.

That’s what I thought; in most cases, we would choose to not wait!

Hold up the calendar. What could this represent that would be hard to wait patiently for? Summer break, weekend, birthday, Christmas or another holiday, vacation, event with a friend.

Hold up the empty food box. Raise your hand if this is one of your favorite foods. Children respond.

Read the cooking time instructions. Why is it difficult to patiently wait for it to be done? You are hungry, it smells so good.

Yes, it seems like the timer will never ring to tell us it is done, right?

Let’s name some other things that are hard to wait for. A package or letter in the mail, a test result, a decision or permission to do something, an acceptance letter, saving money to buy something, waiting to be old enough or tall enough to do something, someone who is traveling to visit you, arriving at a destination.

What was hard for Mary and Martha to wait for? For Jesus to arrive after they sent a message to Him that Lazarus was very sick.

Why do you think they may have grown impatient waiting? They probably hoped He would immediately come see them. They were probably very worried about Lazarus as he grew sicker and sicker.

To make it even more difficult, they couldn’t call or text Jesus. They didn’t know where He was on His journey. They didn’t even know for sure if He had received their message! And by the time Jesus got to Bethany, Lazarus had been dead 4 days.

Do you remember why Jesus waited? So God would receive glory.

Yes, it would have definitely been a miracle to heal Lazarus’ sickness, yet how much more glory would God receive by raising him from the dead!

Jesus chose to wait for a greater purpose to bring glory to God. We are often like Mary and Martha. When we have a need, we hope God will respond immediately. However, this doesn’t always happen. That is why we must patiently wait on the Lord! His timing is not always the same as what we would like, yet it is always perfect!

So let’s talk about what it means to wait on the Lord. Select two children to sit with you in the row of chairs—different children than the five volunteers selected earlier. Is there a waiting room for God, like a waiting room at the doctor’s office or dentist’s office? No, you don’t need to be in a specific place to wait on the Lord!

The two children may remain in their chairs. Call the other five volunteers to stand with you and have them begin to act out their roles. Walk beside each and ask: Which ones do you think could be waiting on the Lord: the one playing basketball, typing on a computer, talking on a phone, praying, or playing an instrument?

Consider the children’s answers. We would expect that the one who is praying would be waiting upon the Lord. However, all of them could be waiting on the Lord!

Walk over to the row of chairs. You see, waiting on the Lord is not like waiting for an appointment! It is not something that you can always determine by outward appearances. Taking time to get alone and pray is very important for us to do—like this person. Stand next to the praying volunteer.

In a secret, private place, we can speak to God and allow Him time to speak to our hearts. Even so, it isn’t the only way to wait on the Lord. We still must live our lives and go about our days. That doesn’t mean we stop waiting. Waiting on God is trusting in expectation of what He will do! We can be busy on the outside, yet be still and silent on the inside—in our hearts.

Read Philippians 4:6–7:

⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

When we pray and leave our request with God, we can experience His peace inside. This gives us the ability to rest in Him as we continue with our activities and responsibilities. We let go of our need, we place it in His hands, and we stop worrying. To wait on the Lord is to submit to God’s timing and His will. Waiting is not being passive or lazy; it takes faith and strength to trust in God when we feel pressure to do things our own way! This is why our SuperVerse tells us to be brave and courageous! Let’s say it together. Psalm 27:14:

Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

Conclusion: Today, with things like microwaves, instant downloads, same-day deliveries, and fast food, it is difficult to patiently wait for something. To wait on God means we have faith and hope in Him. It is trusting God to answer in His perfect time, and that will bring Him glory.

Now, it’s time for our Discipleship Challenge where we will learn to know God’s will and to think more like Him. When we understand God’s will and purpose, it can help us to wait for Him with confidence.

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Display the model craft that you made. Give a Lazarus Tomb Pattern to any children who missed Lesson 1 so they can complete the craft at home.

Let’s discuss the Discipleship Challenge we began last time we met. The challenge was to read and discuss Hebrews 12:1–2a. As we run the race of life, who are we to focus on? Jesus.

What will Jesus do when we keep our eyes on Him? He will make our faith perfect and complete.

Were you able to pray and identify things in your life that weigh you down or hinder your spiritual progress? Children respond.

Sin definitely weighs us down; however, even good things can weigh us down if we are too busy and don’t keep our lives balanced. Martha was doing a good thing to serve Jesus and the disciples, yet, at the time, the better choice was to take a break and spend time with Jesus.

Our challenge on the craft for Lesson 2 says: “Wrong thinking: Romans 12:2.” If time permits, read Romans 12:2:

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

If possible, read this verse with your family and discuss how wrong thinking can hinder or hold us back from growing in our new life in Christ. God doesn’t want us to just copy the behavior of the world; He wants us to live according to His will and do what pleases Him. Continue to pray and ask God for His help in identifying and removing things from your life that may hold you back from His perfect plan for your life. You will have a chance to share your thoughts and experience next time.

SuperVerse

Let’s say the SuperVerse together: Psalm 27:14:

Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

This verse was written by David. Do you remember who he was? The shepherd boy who fought Goliath; the king of Israel.

David wrote this psalm describing how he placed his trust in God for protection from his enemies. They accused David of things that weren’t true, and they wanted to hurt or kill him. David declared his confidence and expectation in God to always protect him and deliver him from his enemies. In this verse, David used two words to tell us how we must be when we wait; what are they? Brave and courageous.

Yes, he was determined to be brave and courageous in God’s strength as he waited patiently for the Lord to answer. With these words, he was encouraging both himself and others to hold onto God. Let’s read the SuperVerse together from the board again. Psalm 27:14:

Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

Have children stand perpendicular to the board and make one line, side by side, about an arm’s length from the person on both sides.

David encouraged us twice to wait patiently on the Lord. In this activity, we are going to practice waiting patiently.

Have children close their eyes and hold both hands out, palms up, as if to receive a gift or hold something.

To begin, I will give the ball to a player at one end of the line. You won’t know which end I am starting with, so be patient! Players who receive the ball will open their eyes, say a word of the SuperVerse in order, and then walk silently to the opposite end of the line and give the ball to the next player, who repeats the process. Once you have passed the ball, stand where you are, then close your eyes and wait patiently for everyone to have a turn. Everyone should stay alert and listen closely to the words of the SuperVerse as they are spoken aloud so you know what word to say when you receive the ball. You may look at the SuperVerse on the board if you need help.

Be prepared to help children who don’t read well. If everyone didn’t have a chance to participate, repeat the activity, beginning with those children. Afterward, ask: What was it like to wait with your eyes closed and not know when the ball would be given to you? Difficult, boring; exciting, made me anxious or nervous, uncomfortable, difficult not to be impatient.

How is the activity like waiting for an answer to prayer? You don’t know when the answer is coming so you must continue to wait and trust until you receive it from God. We must listen closely, like Mary did, so we don’t miss out on what Jesus is saying—the answer!

Conclusion: David didn’t say how long to wait; he just encouraged us to wait patiently for the Lord. Sometimes our answer comes so quickly that we haven’t even finished praying yet! Sometimes we must wait. No matter how long it takes, we are to trust the Lord patiently.

Younger children may not be able to memorize the entire SuperVerse. Be sure all children understand its meaning.

Prayer

Have children sit on the floor in a large circle.

Let’s look at the SuperVerse again on the board. When words are repeated in a Bible passage, it is often to emphasize or bring attention to something that is important. David says something two times in the SuperVerse. Can you tell me what that is? Wait patiently for the Lord.

Why is patience important when we pray? It demonstrates that we trust God and are willing to wait for the answer according to His perfect timing. It shows that we submit to His will and place it above our individual needs at the time.

Let’s bow our heads and close our eyes. I’d like everyone who feels comfortable praying aloud to take turns praying a sentence or two thanking God for hearing and answering our prayers. Allow time for the children to pray aloud.

Close in prayer: Heavenly Father, You heard the children’s prayers of thanksgiving for hearing and answering our prayers. Every prayer that is prayed aloud, whispered, or even thought silently, is heard in heaven. Holy Spirit, please produce patience in us to wait on the Lord and trust Your timing to answer our requests. Give us Your strength to wait bravely and courageously until we receive Your answer. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Drawing Activity

Today, you will work together in groups to draw murals about our Bible story.

Optional for Grades 4–6: Pass out the Bibles and have children take turns reading John 11:1–44, the story of Lazarus.

Divide the class into groups of 3–4 children. Mix older and younger children.

Give each group:

• Mural Idea Sheet
• Crayons, colored pencils, or washable markers
• Poster board or sheet of butcher paper
• Gauze, toilet paper, facial tissue, and glue stick

Assign Mural 1 or Mural 2 to each group, or have each group draw both. The groups can make one large mural scene or split their mural into multiple scenes based on the Mural Idea Sheet. Have the groups plan their mural and then work on it for a set amount of time.

Mural 1

• Lazarus is dead, wrapped in grave clothes, lying near the open tomb.
• People are crying by the closed tomb.
• Jesus is traveling from far away with His disciples.

Mural 2

• Martha talks with Jesus.
• Mary falls at His feet.
• Jesus weeps at the tomb.
• Jesus prays and calls Lazarus.
• The stone is rolled away, Lazarus stands outside the tomb, and people are amazed.
• People unwrap Lazarus and praise God. Religious people are angry and afraid.

Tape the finished murals on the wall. Have groups share their murals with the class.

Conclusion: Each group did a wonderful job showing some of the main points of our Bible story. When we wait upon the Lord, we place our complete trust in His timing to answer. Because Jesus waited, God received the glory and everyone knew that Jesus was sent from His Father, God.

Craft

Can someone say today’s SuperTruth from memory? “I will wait patiently for the Lord.”

Very good! Let’s all say it together. “I will wait patiently for the Lord.”

Mary and Martha sent Jesus an urgent message that His dear friend, their brother Lazarus, was very sick. They must have hoped Jesus would come immediately—but they had to keep waiting and waiting. No doubt they didn’t understand His delay, especially when Lazarus died. Jesus’ timing wasn’t the same as Mary and Martha hoped. Jesus did love Lazarus; even so, Jesus delayed for a greater purpose—to bring glory to God and confirm that He was sent by God.

It is important that we set aside time to be with Jesus and to wait upon Him. This time can be in worship, prayer, reading our Bibles, or by silently sitting in His presence. You will make a craft today to remind you that God is never too early or late—His timing is perfect. The tomb shape can also remind us that Jesus is the resurrection and the life. He defeated sin and death!

Display the model craft. Give each child a clock pattern, scissors, glue, and a brass roundhead fastener, plus crayons, colored pencils, or washable markers. Have them follow the instructions on the pattern to cut, color, glue, and fasten the pieces to make the clock. Children should write their names on the back.

Move the hands of the clock to the time that you would like to spend with Jesus each day. Use the clock as a reminder to spend time with the Lord by praying, reading your Bible, worshiping Him, and listening for His voice in your heart.

Timing Game

First, let’s answer the question from Large Group. What did Mary do when Jesus returned to Bethany? Mary fell at Jesus’ feet. She told Jesus that Lazarus would not have died if He had been there. (See John 11:32.)

Great job watching and listening to the video! Mary was sad that her brother had died while they were waiting for Jesus to come. She didn’t understand that God had something greater in mind!

It is hard to be patient when waiting for something important. Today, our game is all about timing. It is similar to a familiar game called “Hot Potato.” Hold up a ball.

Each ball represents an action or answer from God. It could be an answer to prayer, an instruction, a blessing, or anything else you can receive from God. Each group of children will stand in a circle. When the music starts, the player with the ball will say the first word of the SuperTruth, then quickly toss the ball to any other player in the circle. That person will catch it and say the next word, and so on. Remember, you’re not allowed to hold the ball more than a second or 2! You may look on the board if necessary. When the music stops, the player holding the ball wins the round and steps out of the circle. If no one was holding the ball, the player who tossed it last wins. Congratulations; you received your answer! The music starts again and play continues as before with the remaining players saying the SuperTruth. When you finish the last word of the SuperTruth, start over again. Does everyone understand how we play? Demonstrate this if necessary within a group.

Divide the class into groups of four to six children, and give each group a ball. Start the music, then stop it at random times during the game.

Optional play for Grades 4–6: give each group a pencil and sheet of paper or cardstock. Have the players write their names on the sheet to record points. Before each round, choose a secret number from 1 to 6, based on the number of children in the groups. Start the music, then stop it at random times during the game. As players exit the circle, they will stand outside the circle in the order they left the game. The last player with the ball should stand at the end of the group line. Announce the secret number. The player who was that number to leave the game receives five points. The other players receive one point each. Have players record their scores by their names on the sheet.

Play more rounds as time permits. Vary the amount of time the music is played each time. Have children tally their points. The player in each group with the highest score wins.

Conclusion: What do you think the point of this game is? Every player received something from God. You were never sure when the answer was coming. It wasn’t necessarily the best thing to receive and answer quickly.

Yes, whether it was at the beginning or the end of the round, everyone received an answer. You didn’t know when that would be, so you needed to be patient and wait. Sometimes we receive an answer from God even before we are done praying. Other times we must be patient as we trust and wait. Regardless, God’s timing is always perfect! In this game we assigned points to make it more fun. Receiving the answer first didn’t mean you automatically received the most points each round. The number changed because God’s timing changes and there are times it is better for God’s answer to be delayed—like we saw in our story about Lazarus.

Bible Study

Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “I will wait upon the Lord.”

God’s timing isn’t always the same as ours. Even so, His timing is always perfect. Jesus waited 2 days before He started His trip to see Lazarus. He was not in a hurry because He knew Lazarus’s sickness would not end in death. Let’s dig deeper into some scriptures about waiting on the Lord.

Give each child a Bible. Have children look up the verses and take turns reading the passages. Then lead a discussion with the information below.

Psalm 62:1–2,5–8:

¹ I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from Him. ² He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken. ⁵ Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him. ⁶He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. ⁷ My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. ⁸ O my people, trust in Him at all times. Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge.

• In verse 1, how does the writer, David, wait? Quietly.
• In this verse, what do you think David’s quiet waiting represents? Confidence and trust in God to answer and bring victory.
• In verse 5, is David half-heartedly waiting? No, he is waiting with all his heart.
• In this passage, what verses are repeated, and what does that represent to you? Verse 6 is a repeat of verse 2. It means it is important. It is repeated to build our faith.
• In verses 2 and 6, what does a fortress represent to you? Safety and protection.
• According to verse 7, who else does David trust to help? Nobody; he trusts in God alone.
• In verse 8, when does David tell us to trust God? At all times; in every situation.
• David is waiting quietly before God, yet he instructs us to do something else; what is that? Pour out our heart to Him because He is our safe place - our place of escape.
• Why should verse 8 be so comforting and encouraging to us? We can come to God anytime for anything; we can be honest with Him and tell Him anything we feel or need. Our hopes, fears and questions can all be brought to Him. We can escape to Him when there is nowhere else we can turn.
• Can you share a time you waited quietly for the Lord to answer a prayer?

Isaiah 40:31 (nkjv):

³¹ But those who wait on theLord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

• What is the result of waiting on the Lord? Our strength is renewed, increased, and we receive new strength. When we are low or down, He will lift us up.
• What do you think it means to mount up with wings like eagles? We will soar, or rise above our situation and problems.
• When we run or walk, what does the Lord do for us? Gives us strength, energy, and endurance as we travel.
• What does this verse reveal to us about waiting; is it always sitting still and doing nothing? No, we can still quietly wait on God and be active. We have an inner, quiet trust and confidence as we live our lives. He gives us strength and endurance in all that we do each day.

Proverbs 8:34–35:

³⁴ Joyful are those who listen to Me, watching for Me daily at My gates, waiting for Me outside My home! ³⁵For whoever finds Me finds life and receives favor from the Lord.

This passage specifically talks about waiting for wisdom. The Bible tells us that true wisdom comes from God and that Jesus is the wisdom of God! (See 1 Corinthians 1:24,30; Proverbs 2:6.)

• In verse 34, what can we experience when we wait on the Lord for wisdom? Joy.
• How often did the writer wait on the Lord? Daily.
• According to verse 34 then, should we only wait on the Lord in emergencies or when we have a specific need? No, it says daily, we need His wisdom to make wise choices and to do His will, too.
• What do the words watching and listening reveal to us about waiting? We must be alert and put effort into receiving God’s answer. It could come in various ways. We must anticipate and confidently wait in expectation for His answer to come in His timing and method. We don’t want to miss it! By watching and listening we demonstrate faith that God will answer us.
• According to verse 35, what are the benefits or blessings we receive from consistently waiting on the Lord? We find life and favor by finding Him! We find joy. When we alertly wait, we will find our answer in Him no matter when, where or how He chooses to answer.

Conclusion: Waiting on the Lord is not being lazy or passive. It requires patience, trust and confidence in God and His timing. That is why in the SuperVerse we are told to be brave and courageous!

Optional discussion: To finish, let’s talk a little more about our Bible story video.

Near the beginning of our video, why did the angry crowd want to stone Jesus? (See John 10:30,33.) For claiming to be God, saying that He was one with God the Father.

Why were Jesus’ disciples alarmed when He wanted to return to Judea to see Lazarus? (See John 11:8,11–13.) The people there had tried to stone Him. Jesus said Lazarus was sleeping and they didn’t know why He wanted to wake him. They didn’t understand that Jesus meant that Lazarus was dead.

What was the reason Jesus said the people didn’t believe in Him? (See John 10:25–26.) They were not His sheep, or followers.

Jesus is our Good Shepherd and we are His sheep. What did Jesus say about His sheep? (See John 10:27–29.) They listen to His voice, they will never die, and no one can snatch them away from Him.